People in Staffordshire can make a difference and help victims of Modern Slavery across the area, the Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire says.
National Anti-Slavery Day takes place on 18th October to raise awareness of Modern Slavery and highlight what signs to look for.
Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Arnold is spearheading an awareness campaign in Staffordshire, on behalf of PCC Matthew Ellis, about the illegal exploitation of people.
In 2015 there were over 3,000 potential victims of trafficking identified in the UK. This is an increase of 40% on 2014 referrals but these are just the victims we know about. Slavery’s hidden nature means actual numbers are likely to be much higher.
In Staffordshire over 50 victims of Modern Slavery have been rescued by Staffordshire Police and partners including; Immigration, Social Services and the charity Hope for Justice between October 2015 and October 2016. This included a group of around 30 people from Vietnam, including young people, who were found by Staffordshire Police in the back of a lorry. Cases of Modern Slavery that officers in Staffordshire have come across include labour exploitation, human trafficking, sexual exploitation and cannabis cultivation, with other investigations still ongoing.
All frontline police officers in Staffordshire are receiving ongoing training to spot the signs of Modern Slavery in order to help combat the crime. This training covers the signs to look for, the law surrounding Modern Slavery and how and where victims should be referred for further help and protection.
Staffordshire Police are one of the first forces in the UK to obtain a Full Risk Order in relation to the trafficking of young girls under the Modern Slavery Act. Risk Orders restrict the activities of people involved in Trafficking which would enable them to continue in that line of what they would term “Business”. For example they could restrict age groups they can be in the company of, mobile phone use, being in specific locations etc.
Modern slavery can take many forms including the trafficking of people, forced labour, servitude and slavery. Victims can be men, women and children but it is most common amongst the vulnerable, and within minority or socially excluded groups. Approximately two-thirds of victims are women, and a third are men. Every fourth victim of modern slavery is a child.
One of the Victims of Modern Slavery that Staffordshire Police found was a Romanian man who was subjected to labour exploitation in another part of the UK. He had escaped from those exploiting him but was vulnerable to being targeted by other criminals. He was rescued by Staffordshire Police, and in conjunction with the Romanian Embassy safeguards were put in place before he was repatriated back to Romania.
Mrs Arnold said: “Modern Slavery is still happening across the UK and Staffordshire is not exempt. It is estimated 29.8 million people around the world are currently affected and it is an issue which we all need to face and work together to tackle the crime and help victims.
“Modern slavery can take many forms including the trafficking of people, forced labour, servitude and slavery. It is an abhorrent crime which is often hidden in plain sight. It’s extraordinary that in 2016 we are still talking about something that also happened hundreds of years ago.”
Detective Inspector Lindon Evans, Adult Safeguarding Enquiries Team added: “We have seen a number of examples of Modern Slavery in Staffordshire but I would not want to alarm people with these statistics or for people to think that we have an outbreak of Slavery in the county.
“The figures, to me, reflect the excellent work Staffordshire Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner have carried out in relation to raising the profile and educating people in relation to Modern Slavery.
“The investigations around these despicable crimes require a committed approach. All partners share our commitment to eradicating Modern Slavery from the county and protecting some of the most vulnerable people within our society.”
A successful conference was held on the 10th December 2015 to highlight the threat of Modern Slavery. The conference was attended by over 500 delegates and included speakers from Gangmasters Licensing Authority, the UK’s Anti-Slavery Commissioner and the UK Human Trafficking Centre.
Supporting victims and witnesses is one of four key priorities in Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis’ Safer, Fairer United Communities strategy for more local and effective policing in the county.
Slavery is closer than you think. It happens all over the world including the UK. Find out more at www.modernslavery.co.uk or call the helpline on 0800 0121 700. You can also find out more at www.staffordshire.police.uk/MDS
